Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-08
a qua Canal Scheme.

i Ctfhe Nicaragua Canal Scheme.
'Ths FAVORABLE report on the Senate bill
i*otheorporate the Maritime Canal Com
pany. Of Nicaragua" a synopsis o. which
appeared in our dispatches yesterday,
jusHfies the conclusion that in the opinion
OF the committee, which had charge Of
tots bill, taere is no longer any hope that
sain railway VIII be built across the
Istbmus Of Tehuantepec. or a sea-levei
canal across the Isthmus Of Panama.
Nothing is heard nowadays about tn
ship railway scheme, ald it is fair 10 pre-
sumo that it has been virtually absn
doned by its protector. A sea-level canal
across the Isthmus CT Panama is a thing o
the distant future. To the surprise Of
almost everybody. De Lesseps, in his last
address to the stock holders Of the Panama
canal, talked abou. a water way sixteen
feet deep, with locks and dams,
and that is the sort OF a canal.
10 all probability, that will be seen
across Panama in 1889. Such a canal
Will be sufficient to float good sized tug
boat. and that is about all. OF course it
is not 10 be understood that it is De Les
depth OF sixteen feet Is obtained, as com
pleted. WHAT ne intends ,ubtless Is TO
snow that canal is possible, and arouse
efficient enthusiasm with regard to it to
enable him 10 secure other loans with
which 10 deepen il TO twentv-six or TWEEN
ty.seven feet. II need not be expected
however. that it will be a sea-level canal.
That feature OF it has been gwen
up, Notwithstanding the fact that at
the conference OF engineers at Paris,
when the question OF the most available
route was under consideration, De LIS
-eps stated, as an unanswerable srgu-
ment against the Nicaragua route, thai
no canal that was INSTRUCTED with locks
and dams could ever be a commercial
success.
A canal with locks and dams car
be built across Nicaragua for much
iess money than i: will cost to complet
the Panama canal, and the work can be
done in less time. Il will not be surpris-
ing, therefore, if work is soon be
gun on the Nicaragua canal All tn
Central American republics are interest
ed 10 it, and will do what they can to as
sst it. There is plenty OF idle money II
his country, and if it can be shown that
tie undertaking promises to be a good IN
Sestment, all the money that is needed
can be obtained.
There is another matter that is WORTHY
4 very careful consideration. If the
Panama canal is ever completed it will
'e under European Influences. If the
Nicaragua canal is built it will be under
the control OF this country. In time OF
peace the control Of canal between the
A lantic and Pacific wouldn't be a mat
ter Of great importance. but in the event
Of war between this country and England
or France it would be extremely desira
ble.
When the question Of constructing
canal between the Atlantic and Pacific
WAS first seriously discussed Admiral
Ammen and Mr.. Menocal earnestly urged
the selection of the Nicaragua route, but
De Lesseps, whose reputation overshad
owed that OF every other engineer, in
sisted upon the Panama route, because il
admitted of a sea-level canal.
The report on the Nicaragua canal bill
is a sign that there 10 sentiment to sup
port the views OF Admiral Ammen and
Mr., Menocal. This sentiment, if properly
unrsed, may very quickly become strong
enough to furnish the capital for the
building of a canal on that route. In
deed, there is ground for thinking that
vessels drawing q feet will cross Mica
ragua before they cross Panama. If they
do De Lesseps' great reputation will be
a thing OF the past.